When In Doubt-paint your rooms neutral.

I've received lots of email lately about painting rooms in the home, specifically the color. Many of those emails come from teenagers who are wondering what color they should pick. I've heard it all.......mom doesn't like my choice, I'm going to college in 2 years and they don't want to repaint the room and I'm just not really sure what I want. Sound familiar?

Painting a room is the most cost effective way to change the entire look. The color choice is sometimes good and sometimes, not so good. Pick the color, get the can home, put it on the wall and it looks terrible. It's happened to me plenty of times. Colors also change the feel of a room. Blue makes it feel cool, green is a great color to promote healing, red, orange and yellow promotes appetite (who needs that) and pink can make a room feel warmer. Timing plays a part too. What if you are planning on moving in 5 years? What if the kids are leaving for college in 2 years. Do you really want to paint that room a deep shade of red and then have to come back and redo the entire room again, primer and all??

I responded to all that wrote to me about painting their rooms. My suggestion was to paint the room neutral. If you are moving, that works. If you kids are leaving for college soon, that works too. But what about color? Everyone has a favorite, so why not use that too. A neutral room with all the perfect colors. For the mom who didn't want her kid painting their room electric green, then paint it neutral and add the electric green everywhere else. A few examples.

courtesy of askmissa.com

courtesy of: pinkbedroomideas.com

The two photos above show neutral paint colors with bright punches of color and it looks great. Once the furniture and accessories are removed, you have a neutral colored room.

courtesy of zimbio.com

The above photo shows a bedroom where the neutral walls even exist in the brick work.

courtesy of : beeboats.com

The above den has some real colorful accents added but the surrounding environment remains neutral.

courtesy of modern-luxury-homes.blogspot.com

This is especially pretty. The neutral wall color is white and the blue accents look amazing.

courtesy of panjuripans.com

Neutral colors with additions of pink and green. Remove the furniture and your room is white.

courtesy of panguripans.com

I especially love the above room. Neutral beige on the wall, white furniture and tropical green accents.

courtesy of pic2fly.com

The neutral walls work great in a kitchen as well. Here, the cabinets are also neutral. The lime color in the stools add so much to the room.

courtesy of squidoo.com

Pink and brown accents with a beige environment.

courtesy of squidoo.com

Black and hot pink against neutral. Wild and crazy, but removable.

There are many things that can make painting a room neutral the right choice.

-if you like change, go with neutral and change you accents frequently.

-if you are going to sell your house in a few years, go with neutral. Selling agents always recommend neutral tones when selling your house.

-if the kids are heading to college in a few years, you have just made your life a lot easier.

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DIY Decorative Hooks

This is my latest project.  DIY decorative hooks. Easy, fun, cheap and yes, you can match them up to your own decor (that's my favorite part).  I purchased most of the items you'll see at Hobby Lobby.  Not everyone has this store near to them, but any craft store carries the supplies.  You can use just about anything you want to create this hooks. I started by buying a few wood plaques.  They ran me $1.00 each.  Took them home, sanded them slightly, and gave them a base coat.  See below.

On the back, I installed a keyhole hook.  These hooks are put in so you can efficiently hang them onto a wall.  They are available at Home Depot and Lowe's.  I used my Dremel to sand out a pocket to the keyhole could be inserted. Fuzzy pic....but you get the point.

 On these hooks I added some small mosaic tiles.  I used Wellbond glue (the very best there is for mosaics). Let that set up.

 These are the hooks I purchased at Hobby Lobby with a 40% coupon.  They are porcelain and look very pretty on the plaque.  I used Wellbond again to adhere the hooks and then inserted 2 small screws....as you can see below. I painted those screws a dark brass color to match.

 I purchased this turtle in New Orleans and made a hook out of it. On this hook, I just painted the plaque green, adding some painted grass. (not seen in the photo, I added it after).

Below is another hook I purchased in New Orleans. I painted the plaque brown, added some mosaic tile and finally, the hook.

 

and there you have it.  Some fun, creative and functional hooks for the home.

You can use mosaics, paint, Mod Podge, beads etc for the hooks.  They also make great gifts.

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Hi there! Iím Jessica with Arcadian Lighting, which is a great website and blog for all your light fixture needs! Iím delighted to be guest posting for Christy today because Iím going to be sharing a collection of inspiring interiors with chic leather details. A single piece of leather furniture or accent can add a sophisticated, timeless beauty to any room. I hope you enjoy!

This warm and inviting living room features a mix of vintage and recycled pieces. The 1960s white leather chair adds a particularly cool vibe.

The beautiful leather inserts in this oak wall radiates professional and sophisticated. The circular table lamp on the fireplace mantel is a handsome accent piece.

The distressed quality of the leather ottomans in this eclectic living room adds just a bit of rustic beauty. The fluffy floor pillows and horn accents give off a certain animal magnetism.

This dining room is absolutely vibrant and romantic. The Kelly Green leather chairs are a brilliant pop of color, and the contemporary pendant light is unique and eye-catching.

A single woven leather bench in this master bedroom adds a rich dark color to contrast with the pale neutral used throughout the rest of the room. The black pendant light creates a stark focal point.

The stunning warm color of this dining nook is grounded by the leather upholstered dining chairs. The butterscotch yellow curtains add a beautiful radiant glow.

The leather Chesterfield upholstered coffee table makes quite a statement in this chic living room. Each piece of furniture has its own character, which blend together beautifully.

This cozy living and dining room features a set of chairs that are certainly eye-catching. The leather upholstery and over-sized rivets make a dramatic effect. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

What do you think of leather in interior design? Let us know in the comments! And be sure to go here for a brilliant pendant light or wall sconce to brighten your home!
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